Magnonics for non-physicists

Mass, charge and spin are the fundamental properties of matter. Water weight is still used today as a source of energy in hydroelectric power plants. Electronics is the best-known field of science and technology that uses electric charge to transfer energy and information. In contrast, spintronics pursue similar effects, emphasizing the transport of spin, rather than the transport of charge.

Except for the movement of mass, spin or charge, it is also possible to vibrate. An interesting example of this is the collectively propagating spin direction deviations. These disorders are called spin waves and are at the center of the young physics field called "magnonics" which we deal with in our division. Due to their properties, these waves are not only an intriguing phenomenon for research, but also a promising carrier of information that can significantly reduce energy consumption and speed up the current electronic and photonic data transmission and processing systems. However, before their technological implementation, it is necessary to clarify and understand the laws of physics governing the dynamics of spin waves in nanoscale.

As part of our research work we solve problems related to the spin wave dynamics in many aspects, using theoretical tools in collaboration with many other groups and closely related to the experiment. We are working on the development of new, effective methods of spin wave excitation and control of their propagation. We consider the properties of these waves in complex magnetic structures: systems of different geometry and magnetic configuration, such as thin layers, nanowires, nanodiscs, skyrmions, and magnetic domains. We are especially interested in the influence of the periodicity of magnetic structures on the spectrum of spin waves. We also work on the borderline with many related areas of physics of nanomaterials such as phononics and photonics, i.e. we study how spin waves interact with other types of vibration: acoustic waves and electromagnetic waves.